Capable
by Carmelle Kisses
Summary: "Those who are capable, do what they can. This is the favor that Capitol has brought about for humanity." Where the Capitol System determines the likelihood that you'll commit a crime and deems those with a high 'Psycho-Pass' latent criminals. Everlark. Based of of the anime Psycho-Pass.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N at the bottom._

 _I do not own The Hunger Games or Psycho-Pass._

* * *

" _Your past is not the problem. We have simply judged the possibilities that lurk in your heart._

* * *

" _We detect the crime inducement factor from the Psycho-Pass wave. Your crime coefficient is above the acceptable value._

* * *

" _You have been judged as a 'latent criminal'."_

* * *

 _11:57 a.m._

' _In three minutes, my future will be decided…_ ' He shook slightly at the prospect, mind running a thousand miles along with his heart. While glancing at his perfectly polished wrist watch, he was startled away by a loud groan beside him. She sounded like she was in actual pain and he held back a small chuckle. He looked up at his friend who was as- if not more- nervous than he. He says friend, but she was actually his cousin. Madge Undersee, the perfect pretty little Senator's daughter, was agonizing over her test results.

"Ugh, I feel so depressed." She sat across from him, a round silver table separating them. They were regulars at the tiny cafe that had opened up about a year ago across the street from his apartment. She had her ankles crossed and her skirt was ironed, not a wrinkle in sight, but above the waist she was a mess. Her head was held him her palms, and her usually perfectly straight white-blond hair was a tangled mess currently being pulled on by her delicate finger tips- he could only hope she didn't get something in construction or manually taxing like that. He'd just feel awful if she did.

"Jeez, Madge. Was your Examination Score _that_ bad?" He asked.

"God, it was the worst." She sighed. He was honestly surprised. Madge, through all the years he'd known her, had one of the most even Psycho-Passes he'd ever seen. Similar to his own. The highest he'd ever seen it was when her mother had first been diagnosed when she was ten. Understandably. "What kind of job will I end up with..? I don't even want to think about it." She shook her head again and his attention was momentarily taken away as a car drove past their table.

When he'd tuned back into the conversation Delly Cartwright, his and Madge's best friend from high school began prattling off as usual, "But in the age before the Capitol System, we all would've had no guarantees in selecting our own occupations." He and Madge nodded along politely, Madge seeming grateful for the guidance and calming words spoken by her bubbly friend. When Delly looked at him, as though asking him if she'd done the right thing, her shot her a wide genuine smile. For all the years that Madge and Delly had known each other, Delly had never seen his cousin in such a state. It was uncommon nowadays for anyone to be as stressed as Madge seemed. Delly continued, placing a gentle hand upon Madge's slouched back. "Isn't it a lot better than leaving whether or not you're happy up to fate?" Madge nodded into her palms. "We are clearly told what will be our absolute best career path to follow. There's no way for the Capitol System to fail after all."

"It must be nice to have multiple aptitudes like you, Delly. You'll have your pick of workplaces." Madge mumbled to her best friend.

"Yeah," Delly laughed softly, and then with a smirk in his direction stated loud and clear, "but even I don't have it as good as Peeta does." He was startled out of more of his worried daydreaming and the attention was all focused on him.

He saw Delly shake Madge's shoulder and forced her attention back to their conversation, "You saw his test scores, right?" Madge nodded but Delly continued anyway, talking as though he wasn't sitting beside her, "He had a 700. It's unbelievable."

He gulped and spoke quietly, "I'm just a good test taker is all… Well, that and luck I guess." He offered up and the two girls ignored him.

"And, despite the fact that he almost never does any mental care, his Psycho-Pass color is clear every day! Pure white." Delly finally turned the attention to his again and his cousin's eyes followed, "How can you be so friggin' healthy?" She laughed. He brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head and stayed quiet, an awkward smile perched on his lips. "With a score and Psycho-Pass like yours, even a government job like your uncle's will be no 'll probably have a pick of any aptitude you want."

"A rose-colored life." Madge agreed with a snicker.

He couldn't express how much those words comforted him. And also scared him. They might've scared him more. "Do… do you think so?" He choked out in his nervousness.

Madge crossed her legs, the tip of her black flats bumping into his knee, and opened her mouth to speak but the ding coming from the phone in his hands got him entirely focused away from the conversation at hand.

 _12:00 p.m._

' _It's here!_ '

No words left the 20 year olds' mouths for the next several moments as they all read through their results.

"All my aptitudes are jobs requiring physical labor…" Madge groaned. Peeta inwardly cringed at that.

Delly smiled and piped up, "What's wrong with that? Sports are your specialty, right?" Madge nodded slightly to the side, silently saying, 'I guess…' and she smiled at her friend. "Well, _I_ got nothing but office work." Delly sighed. "Getting a promotion in this line of work, ugh, that'll be tough." Peeta stayed quiet, still reading. Delly noticed his eyes moving across the hologram in front of him at a fast pace. They both stood from their chairs and leaned over his shoulder reading his results. "What'd you get, Peeta?"

Madge squealed, "Show me! Show me!" A moment later, she gasped and gripped his shoulders, "You have aptitudes in every major government agency! What?!"

"Your score is really amazing, Peeta."

"How- how do you even get scores like this? Wow!"

"You're the only person in our year to get the Public Safety Aptitude..!"

He rubbed his sweating hands across his jean clad thighs nervously, "B- But… you know, if I'm recommended for all of these… How do I decide which one to pick..?"

Madge laughed out loud, "Such luxurious problems, Peeta!"

Delly rolled her dark blue eyes at Madge and turned back to him with a kind smile, "In other words, it probably doesn't matter what you do. No matter where you work, you'll be able to live a full and satisfying working adult lifestyle."

Madge squeezed his shoulders once more and giggled, "Why don't you just pick one at random?"

"No matter what future you decide, just do your best okay? Those are all jobs that only you are capable of, so no matter where you go, you'll have a lot of responsibility."

"That's right!"

* * *

" _Those who are capable, do what they can._

* * *

" _This is the favor that Capitol has brought about for humanity."_

* * *

Peeta lied in bed, legs thrown off to the side and feet placed firmly on the cold floor beside his nightstand. He stared up at his blank ceiling, phone clutched in his hand. He sighed and opened his results once again. He'd probably memorized all of the aptitude by now, but seeing them all, it just reminded him of how troublesome this process had become. He felt like he was just supposed to _know_ what to do. He felt like it should have just been told to him outright because this many was too stressful. There were probably hundreds. He closed out the hologram and place his phone on his bedside table. With the room pitch black and no one living with him, he felt free for a moment. And he just laughed. Loudly, Because, honestly he felt silly.

He felt a little crazy too. And he was glad no one could see or hear his laughing because then he'd just feel absolutely crazy.

He spread his arms out parallel to his body and stretched. Why was this even a hard decision?

That's when he heard it, in the absolute silence of is sound-proofed bedroom. The Capitol Society's national charter. And it echoed.

" _Those who are capable, do what they can."_

Those who are capable, do what they can.

And then…

" _You're the only person in our year to get the Public Safety Aptitude."_

And then it was obvious. So, so obvious.

* * *

" _Peeta Mellark,_

* * *

" _Today I am appointing you an Inspector for the Industry of Health and Welfare's Bureau of Public Safety's Criminal Investigation Department._

* * *

" _I look forward to your unceasing assistance and dedication as a guardian of or laws and regulatory system."_

* * *

 _A/N: Hey guys! So it's been a while since I posted anything. :) A few months or so unfortunately… So here's a new story for you guys._

 _Of course I had to go the Inspector and Enforcer Everlark route. It'd be a shame to waste such an opportunity when it arose._

 _So, as way of explanation, I must say the sadly this entire universe isn't really my idea. :( The majority of this plot will be based off of the anime and manga 'Psycho-Pass'. I highly suggest watching and/or reading it. It's gorgeously animated and the writing is beautiful. If you have seen it, obviously you should know who Peeta is based off of. *wink, wink* And I'm sure you'll be able to guess who Katniss will be._

 _Peeta is the female role in the Psycho-Pass. Lol, it's how it usually is when I put Everlark in the roles of something else._

 _I will warn you now, this will get gory. ;D They solve murders after all._

 _And I'm so sorry there's no Katniss yet. Next chapter, I promise._

 _This is strictly Everlark, no Gale/Katniss in sight. But he's far from hated on. He'll play a fairly large role behind K and P._

 _Alright, if you have any questions, feel free to PM me._

 _Follow, favorite, and review…_

 _-RC_


	2. Chapter 2

" _At present, entrance to this division is restricted for the sake of safety._

* * *

" _We are requesting that all area residents quickly evacuate._

* * *

" _I repeat, your attention please-"_

* * *

The florescent city lights were unordinarily bright that night. And he wasn't sure what it was, but the late evening crowds seemed denser than usual. All of the citizens held umbrellas and wore thick fall coats. He was running down the street, bumping into numerous people and barely getting out an, "Excuse me!" before they were gone from sight. Normally he'd never be so rude. To _anyone_. But tonight was his first assignment officially as an Inspector and he was running _late_. Late. Never in his life had he been anything but early. So why that day of all days? He was panting and his shoes were undoubtedly ruined from all the puddles he'd stomped in. Honestly, the entire night was just feeling ominous. But he'd vowed when he applied for the job. He wouldn't regret it. He wouldn't. He was meant to do this. He _knew_ that. As he finally made his way toward the guarded area of Division 12 where his first case lie, his heart pounded. He was trained. He knew what he was doing. But there were those constant worries that plagued his mind ever since he'd applied. They weren't going away either. He was hoping tonight maybe he'd feel reassured in his decision. The crowd surrounding was tough to get through, despite his stature. People were in a sort of panic and it wasn't pleasant to see. They were being pushed back by guards and thus, it created a ripple effect where they'd all knock into each other and eventually him. As he finally made it to the front, flashing the sparkly new badge that was hidden in his suit pocket, the guard gave him smirk as though he wanted to laugh. He'd assumed it was because his hair was soaking wet blonde sop on top of his head. He didn't blame the guy either. He knew he must look like a mess. He couldn't say he didn't was that nagging voice in his head about making a good first impression on his partner. He ignored it, pushing it away with a huff under his breath. When he first saw his partner, Peeta repeated sternly in his head, he _would not_ regret this. He cluelessly looked around the scene of government officials feeling like a child lost while at an outing with his mother in one of those large shopping malls. He pathetically croaked out, "Um… Where is Inspector Hawthorne..?" A tall man, a few feet to his left with judging eyes fell upon him, "That's me." His hands and mind were obviously preoccupied with the device in front of him. Lithe fingers were flying across a holographic keyboard, typing in passwords and codes at a speed faster than his mind could register. His grey eyes flicked away a second after landing on him and Peeta reluctantly trudged toward his new partner. He knew next to nothing about him truthfully. He'd been thrown onto a case as soon as he finished basic training, so the process of assignment and his learning had been a bit hurried. As he stood next to the man, who unlike Peeta was completely dry he'd heard an indifferent mumble escape Hawthorne's mouth, "Assigned to a case so soon, how unfortunate for you." Peeta ignored the comment and place a straightened hand directly to his forehead in salute to the man beside him, "Assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department as of today, Peeta Mellark reporting." The grey eyes shot at him again, and they made him feel much younger that just the two years that separated them. Peeta opened his mouth again to continue, but was cut off by Hawthorne's body sliding past his. He began to walk towards a large truck on the opposite side of the roped off street from them. Peeta followed him. "My bad, but we're just so terribly short on manpower in the Criminal Investigation Department," He saw Hawthorne check his watch and scowl, "I don't really have time to baby-sit you." Peeta wasn't really offended, just shocked. So with his mouth agape, his feet continued at the breakneck speed that Hawthorne was walking. He stopped abruptly once whatever he was doing on the hologram above his watch seemed to work. His partner turned to face him head on since they'd met and looked at him with determination. He heard a ding come fro his own watch and as he unlocked it, a citizen's profile appeared before his eyes, he read through it while Hawthorne continued informing him of the investigation. "Our target is Antonius Ceredu. His color phase was caught by the street scanners, and the security drones requested he submit to therapy but he fled." In front of him was a picture of the man, his long shiny grey hair was kept at the base of his neck in a loose ponytail, his thin face was unsmiling and his clear eyes looked dark and calculating. The man reminded him of someone but he wasn't sure exactly who. Surrounding those deep eyes were plain thick framed black glasses, the man looked like a college professor, not like a latent criminal. "The Psycho-Pass recorded by the scanner is Forest Green. High levels of aggression and unreasonable but compulsive behaviour are to be anticipated." Hawthorne rattled off in a low, measured voice. His eyes were traveling Peeta's figure, assessing his awareness and capabilities. Peeta felt him look at his face once again with a scowl, "To ignore treatment until his color phase became so impure…" Gale looked at the floor for a moment in contemplation. It was missed by Mellark, "It's possible that he was involved in drug abuse." He led the blonde over to more computers after he was given a nod that his partner had understood what he'd informed him of. On the screens was security footage of their criminal fleeing through a series of alleyways that was taken a few hours prior. The white button down in his ID photo had been switched out with a tattered zip up hoodie over a white tee, his once perfect hair was cut in uneven chops around his head and the man was running, a crazed jerking of his limbs. He didn't even look like he was the same person. Gale grunted in Mellark's direction, "Either way, I don't need Capitol's judgement to know that he's a latent criminal." Mellark wasn't what Gale had expected. He was so naive. It was cute really. But one thing Gale didn't need was to see another partner deteriorate before his eyes. Although, he had read the kid's file. It was much steadier than his had been his entire life. Let alone his ex-partner's. But, that's what happened when you grew up happy, he guessed. He looked like a golden child. He had no idea how someone like Mellark ended up in a job like this. He looked like the type of person who healed injured bird's wings and bottle nursed them back to health. Gale guessed he'd apply to switch aptitudes by tomorrow. He closed out all of the holograms and began walking once again, the loyal puppy trotting behind him, " The issue is that Ceredu decided to flee to this block. Because this area is abandoned, there are no relays set up, and the drones can't enter." Mellark looked nervous. He wasn't surprised. "Furthermore, while fleeing, Ceredu took a hostage." "A _hostage.._?!" Mellark spluttered. Gale ignored him and continued towards the police van. He saw Mellark's eyebrows twitch as if he were upset. On the side of the van was a panel where he imputed the necessary passwords. Just before completing the process, he turned to his new partner and stated boldly, "It would be best not to think of the bunch you're about to meet as humans." Mellark's eyes widened and Gale spaced out a moment before steeling himself to face his walking demons. He pressed the last few buttons while trying to ignore the rain wetting his hair. The dark grey double doors located at the back of the transport vehicle opened and four people walked out. Peeta didn't quite know what to make of the group. There were two men. One was like a model, golden hair, tanned skin, the works. He walked with a grace that rivaled no other. He immediately smirked as the droplets of rain met his face. He looked a little mad. And it gave Peeta an eerie feeling. Next to him was a middle aged brown haired mess. His shirt was buttoned improperly with a long tan trench coat slung around his shoulders and his too large pants were being held up by a frayed belt. The most eye catching of the group was the girl wearing a suit that looked a little too small on her and drew his eyes to where they absolutely shouldn't have been, forcing him to look away with a blush. The last girl was small. She couldn't have weighed more than 110 pounds and she was notably the only one wearing a tie. At least she was attempting to be professional. Her long hair was plaited down her back, but a few straggling hairs stuck to her now wet face. She seemed irritated. It made Peeta wonder why no one set set up a tarp or something to keep them all out of the rain. "They are hunting dogs." Hawthorne continued beside him. "beasts that exists solely for hunting other beasts." He said it loud and clear so the group heard him. They all gave his partner scowls. Hawthorne seemed to ignore them. "They are Enforcers." 

* * *

" _Enforcers are morally bankrupt individuals whose crime coefficients have exceeded the allowed value._

* * *

" _Normally, they would be quarantined as latent criminals. But they are permitted only one other activity._

* * *

" _Hunting down other criminals."_

* * *

"They are your subordinates." Hawthorne stated. The tall girl in the skirt laughed loudly, hands on her hips. "Inspector Hawthorne!" She sing-songed, "Is this cutie the rumored newbie?" She had an air to herself. It was filled with false confidence and anger. It was obvious she tried to hide within a fake persona, but it was of no use. Hawthorne sighed sharply, turning from the group and fiddling with the tech once again. Peeta was beginning to wonder if he did that just to look busy. "His name is Inspector Peeta Mellark." He sent a growl in her direction and Peeta didn't think anything she had said so far warranted the next comment, "He's your second master." Peeta's eyes widened. No, his new partner was not making a good first impression. And Peeta was worried that it'd be the other way around… He calmed some and bowed his head in their direction slowly, "Pleased… to meet you." They all replied in their own way. A subtle wave from the small girl. A grunt from the old mess. A smirk from the male model. And a flirty wink from the other girl. The comment had apparently not bothered her at all. He assumed it was more that she heard it all the time and not that it just hadn't offended her. Hawthorne got straight to business, "You've all had a look at the target's data, right?" There were murmurs from them. All telling him yes. "He's trapped like a rat, so time to crush him." ' _This guy and his analogies.'_ Peeta thought wryly. "According to eyewitness testimony, the hostage seems to be a young woman." That sentence quelled any further quips he was thinking up. "We still have to confirm her identity." Hearing that, the girl with her hair in a braid turned from indifferent to seemingly vengeful. And it drew him in. He stared at her until she looked away from his partner to him. "This area is registered as an uninhabited district, but as a result, it's become a den of homeless people. Be prepared. We'll split into two groups and go out in turns. After securing an area, deploy relays and let the drones take over." Behind him, Peeta heard a soft click. There was a large metal box and it was giving off warm air. It was slightly comforting. "Odair. Mason. You two come with me." The male model and the flirter flounce off, both obviously disappointed that they didn't get to partner with the newbie. Which left him with the tiny girl and the old man. "The rest of you, accompany Inspector Mellark." "But I wanted to go with the cutie, Hawthorne!" Mason whined. And the trio began walking away, after getting their guns from the box behind him. "You're unbelievable." He heard his partner grumble to the girl. Peeta slowly turned back to his 'subordinates'. "Um… Uh.. That is- What should I..?" He ran a hand through his hair nervously and a loud laugh rang through the air. "Calm down, kid." The older one grunted out with a dry chuckle. "Hey, if you order us to wait here, we have absolutely no problem with that." "Quite being weird Haymitch." The girl turn to scowl and the man- Haymitch apparently- just kept laughing. "Wait- um..?" "Don't be so nervous, boy." Haymitch crossed his arms and leant down to the box of guns. "You know how to use a Dominator, don't you?" "M... More or less. In training-" Haymitch interrupted him with a shake of his head, "No, no, not in training. Have you ever held one in your hand?" "No…" "Well, this puppy is a gun that read your target's Psycho-Pass. The safety only releases if the target is a latent criminal." He nodded along with his subordinate's explanation, "Do everything as the Dominator tells you. If it tells you to shoot. You shoot… Standard mode is a paralyser. It's just a simple tranquilizer gun. Once they've been shot, they'll be immobilized, and all that's left is taking them into custody. Case closed." He reached out to take a Dominator in his hand, when a thought made him hesitate. ' _Tells me to.'_ The textbooks had all said that the Dominator talks to you, it's like hearing your own thoughts. But he'd never experienced that kind of thing for real. What would it sound like? Would he feel anything? "What's wrong?" Haymitch asked him, "Just don't think about it too much." He picked it up. It was female apparently, a cool, crisp voice. Robotic. 

* * *

" _ **Portable Psychological Diagnosis and Suppression System. Dominator activated.**_

* * *

" _ **User recognized Inspector Peeta Mellark of the Bureau of Public Safety and member of the Department of Criminal Investigations.**_

* * *

" _ **Permit of use recognized. You are a competent user."**_

* * *

He looked to Haymitch, a little panicked, and the man just laughed again. "Oh, that?" It must've been Peeta's facial expression, "It's directionalized sound, so the only one who can hear it is you. Don't worry about it. It's a little annoying at first but you'll get used to it." Haymitch himself picked one up and Peeta could tell something strange was going on with his eyes, they shone an artificial metallic teal for a moment and then they went away. It made him wonder if the same had happened to him. 

* * *

" _ **The current enforcement mode is Non-Lethal Paralyser.**_

* * *

" _ **Please aim your weapon and neutralize the target."**_

* * *

"Okay, so aren't we going to form some kind of game plan?" Peeta asked after a few moments. "There's nothing to it really. We hunt the prey, you watch." "No, but I mean a little more specifically…" Haymitch turned serious, a dark look in his eye. And for the first time since Hawthorne had said it, he remember that these people in front of him weren't just average citizens. They were latent criminals. "What I mean to say is... just leave it to us." He smiled darkly, that of enjoyment, "I know we may not look like much, but this is our specialty." The girl piped up for the first time and she stated sternly in a low clear tone. "We each have our own style. But, _Inspector_ , you're the one who bears responsibility." She spat the word Inspector at him and once again, he was reminded that this small woman was capable of different things than him. "So, if you don't like my methods… You're gonna have to shoot me." "What? Wait-" "Look, we're all latent criminals like our target. It's not like it won't work on me." She huffed and with that turned on her heel and walked away calmly, hands in the pockets of her long black jacket. "Well her introduction came a bit late." Haymitch chortled with a hand on his stomach. "That boor is Katniss Everdeen." _Katniss._ _Everdeen._ "And my name is Haymitch Abernathy." Haymitch extended his hand and Peeta was caught off guard. He took it. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Abernathy." "Well then, let's get going. Wouldn't want to leave her alone after all." He jerked his head in the direction of the scowling girl. She had her bare hands tucked under her arms and looked to be cold. Her previously perfect posture was switched out for a hunched position, alone against the driver's side door of the care they'd all been transported in. She was looking at her feet seemingly forlorn. "Ye- Yes, you're right." He agreed shakily. 

* * *

" _You know I… Until today, I was the most earnest guy you ever met. In order not to make anyone angry, or cause problems for anyone._

* * *

" _I was timid and scared, but I lived with all my might!_

* * *

" _So just once, just one time I get caught by a sensor and here I am being treated like a common criminal!"_

* * *

The sounds were pitiful. She knew. But she couldn't help it. Alongside the man's awful crazed muttering, it was grating music. She could imagine her ears bleeding alongside her nose and those dribbles leaking from her sore mouth. Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if she herself was deemed as a latent criminal. She was surrounded by broken glass, crushed pills that he'd forced upon her, and used syringes from the previous lodgers. And was lying on a dirtied floor, only wearing a flimsy pink nightgown. She tried to keep her gaze fixed on the corner across from her, tuning out the sounds, but it was difficult. Her captor toyed with her. His hands subconsciously stroking the knife in his hands. It gleamed metallic under it's red stains. He'd begin to laugh under his breath every now and then. And she'd tense up. He'd yell sometimes, and her body would curl into itself, seeking that warm embrace of useless comfort. 

* * *

" _This is the end... Now that it's come to this… Employment and marriage…_

* * *

" _There's nothing left for me anymore!_

* * *

" _But it's fine… It's time to make up for…"_

* * *

She noticed his muttering grow louder. And she willed her eyes to stay on the corner, not wanting to see what would become of her life. Not wanting to see… He screamed. She looked over. A shaking hand reaching into his pocket and removed a portable cigarette lighter. It was as though he'd finally noticed he'd gained her attention. He smiled wickedly as though a beautiful thought had enveloped his thoughts. As though he knew the future. Her future. As though he took genuine happiness from her sounds. Their sounds. Her pitiful weeping. His crazed words. Her pained cries. His deranged shouts. She could tell just from one look in his black eyes. He enjoyed it all. He was beyond hope. Maybe she was too. He set the flame alight and it illuminated her world. The world she was forced into. It was then she realized that- No! She wasn't beyond hope. This wasn't her. When he brought the dancing light towards the knife, he laughed loudly. And she screamed. 

* * *

" _All the times that I've held back!_

* * *

" _I'll take what I want!_

* * *

" _And kill anyone who doesn't like it!"_

* * *

His palm forced it's way onto her mouth to silence her and he sat heavily over her abdomen. One hand over her face and the other gripping the burning knife tightly. He yelled those deranged words in her face. And the tears pooled into her eyes once again. he wondered if her tears would join the red pool surrounding her body. She closed her eyes and the warm liquid spilled over onto her cheeks. And his hands began to move. And she held as still as possible. She was silent the first time that night since she'd been stolen. 

* * *

"Where's Ms. Everdeen?" Peeta inquired as they walked down one of the dank alleyways that lined this Division. There were no too bright lights here. Everything was tinted in a cool shade of blue moonlight. His steps were quiet and his voice a whisper, but Abernathy placed a finger to his lips and shook his head sternly. The soft clang of noise permeated the air then. It resided in the building across from them and Peeta froze. "I'll go look inside, you go on ahead." Abernathy stated with no room for negotiation. And Peeta thought he was the one supposed to be in charge. Without Abernathy beside him, he felt nervous, more so than he had. His heart began it's fluttering and his hands began to clam up. He could her soft breath as he entered the room from the opposite side as his subordinate. He shuffled and hesitated when he recalled not being sure whether that was Haymitch or someone else. But there was no time for hesitating. There was a hostage somewhere and he couldn't be afraid now. Not after what she'd been through tonight. He jumped out and pointed the Dominator at a slumped figure sleeping off a presumably heavy dose of whisky. His eyes widened and his heart just about stopped when the loud voice rang in his ears. 

* * *

" _ **Crime coefficient under 60.**_

* * *

" _ **Not an enforcement target.**_

* * *

" _ **Trigger locked."**_

* * *

He exhaled loudly and his enforcer rose his eyebrows at him, "What's wrong?" "Nothing." He stated quietly, and shook his fogged head, "Nothing." The metal of the gun had long since lost that warmth that it had when he'd first picked it up from it's heated chamber. Even the areas that Peeta would expect to be warm where his hands were, where his body let off heat, were cold. It felt foreign. And he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to the voice in his head. They began walking again, leaving the unconscious homeless man to sleep, with Abernathy walking in front of him. And Peeta got curious. He stretched his arms out in front of him and pointed the Dominator towards his subordinate. 

* * *

" _ **Crime coefficient over 120.**_

* * *

" _ **A target of the Department of Criminal Investigations.**_

* * *

" _ **Safety released."**_

* * *

' _So he really is a latent criminal. But we'd talked so normally._ ' Peeta honestly didn't know what to make of his little experiment. He's never experienced this feeling. It felt tight in his chest and he could feel the pulses racing through his body. It was a strange sensation that was gone as quickly as it'd come. "I've heard the rumors about you, you know." Abernathy seeming to think the area was clear stated for him to hear. Peeta was confused for a moment, wondering why rumors had been spread about himself, "You were the top student from the training school." Peeta nodded jerkily, unsure of where the conversation was going, "Look kid, I say this out of kindness… but it's better if you forget everything you learned there. None of that is helpful in an actual case." "What…? That- that's…" "Do you think that's nonsense?" He chuckled darkly. "Even so, our job is made up of nonsense to begin with. What one thinks… what one desires… we are in an era where machines can read our minds. Yet there are still a ton of people who detest, deceive, and hurt others. If this isn't nonsense, then what is?" Abernathy stopped walking and turned to Peeta. The moonlight accentuated all those wrinkled that had formed on his face. Aging, stressing… living. "Everything you learned were only hypothetical theories." His eyes, a clear sky blue were wide and he was entranced with the man's words. "You will soon immediately realize how pointless they are." "I-" "This is Hound 4." Peeta suddenly heard a smooth voice in his earpiece, he knew it must belong to Odair because it was higher and softer than Hawthorne's. "I found the target at the KT building on the 4th floor. What are your orders?" Hawthorne chimed in with a short and concise, "Just keep a good eye on him. Hound 2 and I will box him in." Odair's voice held a stable tombre but underlying criticism fledged it's way in, "Alright, but… considering how worked up he is, the hostage seems to be at her limit." He heard a sharp huff from his partner, "Shall I catch him by myself?" "Fine." Finnick smiled to himself, and aimed the Dominator in his hands at the man who was palming his hands over the young woman in his possession, 

* * *

" _ **Crime coefficient over 190.**_

* * *

" _ **A target of the Department of Criminal Investigations.**_

* * *

" _ **Safety released."**_

* * *

"Oh my, you are such a bad one." He murmured and then, with a twitch of his finger, he pulled the trigger. Something went wrong, he could tell right away. The target had somehow not been affected by the Paralyser and he wasted no time in pulling the hostage in front of him, holding a hand around her neck and a knife against her chest. He pointed the Dominator again. 

* * *

" _ **Crime coefficient under 100.**_

* * *

" _ **Not an enforcement target.**_

* * *

" _ **Trigger locked."**_

* * *

He was using the hostage's Psycho-Pass to cover his. Damn. He groaned aloud and caught the clouded gaze of the hostage. Her dark hair was matted with blood and her pale skin was spotted purple. He felt the pain radiating off of her and he glared. The target smiled. With that sickening smile on his face, he pulled himself and the hostage out of the window behind him. "Odair! What are you doing?!" He heard Hawthorne growl. "The Paralyser didn't work!" He yelled, stumbling quickly down the step of the abandoned building. "The bastard's on stimulants or something!" They all heard it this time. Each of their Dominators stating: 

* * *

" _ **Target's threat has been updated.**_

* * *

" _ **Enforcement mode: Lethal Eliminator.**_

* * *

" _ **Please aim with caution at the target and bring the target under control."**_

* * *

Peeta's gun began shifting, the mechanics seperating and the unusual blue light it emanated turning red. "Ah! This is…" "It's the oracle of the Capitol System. Antonius Ceredu is no longer needed in this world." His subordinate stated bluntly. "How could that…? Jut from getting picked up by a street scanner...?" "He probably drove himself into a corner. His crime coefficient has most likely risen over 300. Therapy… nothing will work on him now." They ran through the alleyways towards the KT building, "He cannot be rehabilitated. That is the decision. What an unpleasant case for you, Newbie." Peeta's mind was racing. He might have to _kill_ someone. 

* * *

**MIDNIGHT BLUE,** _ **306**_

* * *

" _Look at my Psycho-Pass. It's become completely corrupted. It's just like looking at mud._

* * *

**STEELE BLUE, 115**

* * *

" _Well look at that, how cruel… you're becoming_ like me… 

* * *

" _You have realized at last… Screaming and raging! Filled with madness! That's what real human lives are!_ _That's why you are already the same as I am…_

* * *

" _Are you not running? You will be in misery if you get caught by the cops… On the surface, they call it therapy but they actually just lock up and torture the latent criminals…"_

* * *

The Eliminator mode of a Dominator is a murdering weapon to alienate latent criminals. The mode is a Paralyser, it's just a stun gun. He knew this. But he was holding a Dominator in Eliminator mode and that was entirely different than reading about it. He had the power to kill someone in his hands. He wanted it to go back to Paralyser, he didn't like it. He wanted it to go back! He freaking out a bit and Abernathy didn't seem to notice. He just kept running, feet pounding the asphalt. He was _entirely unprepared_ when they accidentally stumbled upon the target. Well, i was fortunate for the case, but unfortunate for him. He was still, unmoving while he watched a series of events in what felt like slow motion. The target had them set the guns on the floor. Threatening to kill the hostage. They, of course complied. It's not like he could use the Dominator. He apparently didn't know that. He gripped the gun in his hand and threw the hostage to the side and aimed straight in his subordinate's face. He couldn't hear what Dominator said to Ceredu but the man shrieked and Abernathey took the opportunity to tackle him to the ground. They were fighting and it was surprisingly even. Peeta didn't even realize his uselessness in the situation until it was all over. Because, just when it seemed that the target would get away again, out of nowhere, his other dog came to save the day. She pointed the gun. Relentless. The black steel was separated in the way that signified 'Paralyser mode'. Her hands were steady. Far steadier than his had ever been. And she pulled the trigger. He didn't even see what shot out of it. Just that once it hit Antonius Ceredu, his skin began to bubble and burst all over. His eyes popped. His nails shot off of his engorged fingers. He was no more within a moment. Just the lower half of his body remained. And there was blood. Everywhere. Mostly on the poor hostage who'd seemed horrified. Well, it's not like he could judge her, he was horrified too. There was a difference between seeing picture and holograms of dead bodies, and then there was seeing a person actually get shot with a Dominator while it was in Paralyser mode. Abernathy was right. And he'd learned it immediately. "Ms… Ms. Everdeen..." He choked out. She ignored his almost silent words, instead clicking her earpiece and stating clearly, "Hound 3 has completed the mission." Even Haymitch looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck, eyes trained on Everdeen, "Using an old man and the newbie as a decoy… what a nice person you are. Hm.. Sweetheart?" She sighed softly, no remorse in her gaze, "I am just working for my paycheck, you know that better than most people, Haymitch." It was only as the storm who'd swept in so suddenly began to leave that he'd come to his senses… sort of. Thankfully the Dominator had finally gone back to Paralyser as it's default mode… but the air was still thick and his throat felt constricted. He finally remembered the hostage when he'd heard her almost silent sobbing. Her mouth was open and tears streamed down her face but she made none of those choking sounds, just taking large breaths of air as she tried to calm down. Her pupils looked dilated and her eyelids were stretched as wide as possible. Half of the face was covered in a layer of blood and chunks… of who knows what. With what he hoped was a comforting smile, he approached her, "This is the Bureau of Public Safety. It's alright. Please stay calm." His voice held an authoritative tone but it was soft and even. But even so, she seemed so scared. So scarred. "Please, we're here to rescue you. Calm down!" She whimpered and he realized seconds later that she wasn't staring at him anymore, she was staring _behind_ him. He turned, possibly a little too quickly and gasped. There stood Abernathy, the Dominator in hand and pointed at the hostage. "No… Mr. Abernathy!" He yelled. "Check her with your Dominator, kid." 

* * *

" _Crime coefficient over 160._

* * *

" _A target._

* * *

" _Safety released."_

* * *

"Well, that can't be helped." he old man sighed softly and moved to pull the trigger. "Stop!" Peeta yelled at him. When h made no move to follow orders, the rookie tackled him to the floor. The hostage turned target ran away with a frightened scream. "Why are you doing this?! She'd supposed to be protected!" He yelled at his subordinate. "That's why it's in Paralyser mode! It'll just knock her out and we can take her into custody!" Abernathy stated as though it was completely obvious. "She's just disoriented! We can wait for her to calm down a bit! He don't have to use violence!" Katniss, who'd been silently watching the exchange take place, chased after the hostage, "Haymitch!" She called back. "Listen, kid! The Dominators are the eyes of the Capitol! They deemed her a threat! think about what that means!" And then he was off running behind the girl, footsteps booming. "So you're just going to shoot an innocent victim who hasn't done anything wrong?! I can't agree with this!" They all caught up with the girl a building away. She was cowering, hands behind her head, legs quivering with every sound around her. "Stay away…. Stop, please stop!" She pleaded and begged. The building- well warehouse really, was filled with towering boxes, was like a maze and they all stepped in blindly, attempting to follow the sound of the girl's sobs. She sat in a puddle of spilled gasoline. Tubs of it lined the walls. And her damaged mind probably didn't even notice. When she heard footsteps approaching. She held out the only weapon she had. A lighter. Her hands jerked and the flame swayed warily over the liquid that covered her entire body and soaked her silly frilled nightgown though. Katniss' steps were quiet but noticeable. And the girl's green eyes widened in her direction. She aimed the Dominator for the second time that night. "Everdeen!" She heard behind her. And the rookie ran up to her from the side. "No! Everdeen! Please stop!" "Don't come any closer!" The target screamed. 

* * *

" _ **Enforcement mode: Lethal Eliminator.**_

* * *

So the hostage had already gone above 300… impressive. Katniss could hear the soft mutterings of astonishment from the rookie, he too could hear the Dominator's words as it's default mode was switched once again that night. If she was being entirely honest, this is the most fun Katniss has had all year. 

* * *

" _ **Please aim with caution at the target and bring the target under control."**_

* * *

She smirked at the newly appointed Inspector out of the corner of her eye, taunting him. ' _Do it._ ' Her eyes danced. She guessed he needed a little more motivation. She gripped the gun started the hostage right in the eye and moved to pull the trigger. Inspector Peeta Mellark pulled his first. 


End file.
